Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-07-28
How Amasa Snow Got On His
Feet.
from Harpor,s Weekly.

From Harper's Weekly.
Amsa Snow sat in his little law
Office, his feet on the top rim of his
stove full Of wood, and red not. His
Office was about a rod from his house,
and quite nearthe high wooded gate
leading into the village street. Over
the door one read, "Prothonotary
and Attorney-at-law." 1t was a huge,
faded sign in black letters; one could
not go by Amasa Shows Office and
not know OF the business OF its oecu.
pant. The trouble with the sign was
it was not ulluring enough. Squire
Slayton, down the street, with q very
small sign and over q grocery store,
and without a big vide house, and a
family name and eonnection-Squire
Slayton somehow got all the business
there was going in East Che~steryille.
Amasa Snow sat tilted back IN his
wooden armchair, pulling his long
chin beard, scratching the few gray
hairs in his sloping gray head, and
tryina to conlure up some new
scheme by which he could beat
Slayton again, and defer the fore
closure sale. He had deferred it five
times on one excuse and another; but
Slayton had him this time; there was
no help for it. The old place would
have to be sold--the old place where
his boyhood had been passed until he
went away to college, and where he
had lived ever since, and seen his six
girls grow ny about him. His six
girlsl He reached down and broke a
splinter of a bit of pine wood by the
stove, and began to chew hard on it.
What would become Of the girls2
Every one a beauty in his eyes: every
one worthy of marrying the governor
OF the State. How could he tell them
that the sale of their old home could
be postponed no longer; that every
device and trick, and every legal quib-
BILE, had been tried and tried again?
He dared not tell the girls. He looked
out of the window; it was raining.
An April shower, to be sure, with a
prospect OF a golden sunset later on,
but making everything outside under
the trees look very muddy and dis
NAL. Amasa Snow felt very much
depressed. Fate appeared to be
against him.
What was to be doneS He had
borrowed from every one in town.
He could borrow no longer. III h
old place were sold at twice it's value
it would not pay his debts. He had
lived well, and his six motherless girls
had never known how poor he was.
"Oh!" he groaned, as he rose and
stood with his back to that hot stove
-"oh, how can | get on my feet?"
there were his law books-a couple
OF thousand Gingy calf volumes, not
kept up to date, the inheritance from
the Judge, his father, but even the law
books were 'chattled,' as they said, j,
e., mortgaged quite beyond their value.
Everything he had, in fact, was mort
gagged. He had come this wet April
to the end of things. Next week came
the sale. He felt like s~aying-the del
lge. He had not enough money to
lake him and his family out Vest.
That was his plan-to go West. He
hardly felt his fifty years. He felt
young and energetic when he thought
Of the West. By-the-way, there was
mis- brother, Elisha-his brother who
n his youth was so like him. He was
West-in California. Hehad not seen
aim for twenty years. The last he
nad heard from him was a request to
send on a hundred dollars. That was
ive years ago. He had sent him fifty,
and nothing had been heard from
Elisha since, except his name endors-
I'd across the back OF the check, show
ing that he had received the money.
No, it was clear that Elisha could
never help him. Elisha had caused
him to lose several thousand dollars
once In q mine. Elisha's name was
always a great bugbear in his family
since. No, Elisha could not be ex-
pected to help him. Stayl An idea.
Amasa Snow began to poke the red
hot fire vigorously. Il was a bleak
raw day, but the fire was hot enough
in that little office if left alone. An
idea. Elisha should be made to help
him. 1t was q last hope, but it fired
him with enthusiasm. He reached up
into a dusty bookcase and got down
a file of letters. He vas looking for
Elisha's address.
Just then there came tap at the
office door. Amasa turned around.
"By thunder" he CRED, nearly cerried
off his feet with astonishment. Its
Eisha-in propria personal"
II have come home," said Elisha,
meekly. 81 have come home-to
neighbor round"
"And justin the nick oftime, Elisha.
Mighty glad | am to see your Then
a thought occurred to him, as he
shook his brothers hand, with that
leeble wave in the air so common in
southern Connecticut, he would not
tell Elisha OF his financial condition.
He might not help him if he did. No,
he would keep his own counsel.
The two brothers sat down by the
stove, and Amasa threw another stick
Of soft pine wood pm the fire. 1t gas
trightfully hot. "See here, Elisha"
he said, after a pause. "How's the
Grand American Eagle a-doin'P"
"She isn't a-doin'."
"Nothin' at all?''
NO; hasn't been for ten years"
at was a splendid mine once, Elisha.
You used to say So"
$50 it was. But we struck hard
I pun aibONiJ U Nltftb >
the use of rakin' owe old personal.
tiles at this time, when l ought to be
received with open arms, and a bon
fire lighted and fireworks touched
Off"
81 know, KNOW" replied Amasa,
apologetically. 81 ought to ask how
you have happened OIL East this
way"
'iWhy, yes; you ought to show
some b%rotherly feeling. It's natural"
swell, Elisha, nave you got any
ready money in your pocket"
"a thousand dollars"
Amasa walked over to his old rusty
safe.
"Better put the money in here?" he
asked. casually. Elisha handed him
a roll of bills, Don't feel like payin'
back any OF that two t~housand2"
asked Amasa, facetiously, referring to
the loan he had made in the min
ing scheme.
"No" said Elisha, ri don't" After
a pause. while his brother locked the
safe, he SAID, "That thousand is the
last cent Eve got in the world"
"Glad you've come home. Glad
YOU We COIn6 W i've WIFI iue, Sdiu
Amasa, rubbing his hands. "Thegirls
will be so happy to see you. Come,
let's go in the house."
He slipped an old, wellworn over
coat over his shoulders without but
toning it, and they vent out into the
rain. Elisha was very well dressed.
Any one would have taken him for a
wellto-do Western bank president.
He looked sleek and we'll fed. There
wasn't a trace of anxiety about his
face. Otherwise the brothers looked
very much alike.
As they were crossing the threshold